Tag Archives: brexit

Virgin Atlantic pilots plan Christmas strike

BBC Reports that some Virgin Atlantic pilots will strike from 22 December to Christmas Day in a dispute over union recognition. The union, which represents about a third of pilots at the airline, said it was excluded from talks over proposed changes to pilot benefits. It said this was the first of a series of one to four-day strikes it wants to hold until the dispute is resolved. Virgin Atlantic said it did not expect any disruption to its schedule. The PPU said 72% of its Virgin Atlantic members turned out for a ballot, and 71.5% of those who voted backed strike action. The other strikes are planned for 30 December to 2 January and 4 January to 7 January inclusive.

Super Sensitive High Tech Scanner To Shorten Airport Queues

Airlineratings reports a super-sensitive passenger scanner that reveals hidden security threats is being trialed in the UK. The walk-through scanner, which uses space technology to image human body heat, is the result of a collaboration between Sequestim Ltd. and Cardiff University scientists. Computer learning allows the scanner to distinguish between threats and non-threats but without the need for passengers to keep still or remove outer clothing. Globally, around 12 million passengers travel by plane every day on 120,000 flights. The technology has the potential to cut queues at airport terminals as it screens people on the move. It will also impact on the effectiveness of security and help keep passengers safe. “Passenger numbers are expected to double in 20 years, putting airport security facilities under immense pressure,” said Ken Wood, Sales and Marketing Director of Sequestim Ltd, a joint venture between Cardiff University and QMC Instruments Ltd. “Our scanner combines a number of world-leading technologies developed by our team here in the UK. It uses the human body as a source of “light”, in contrast with existing scanners which process reflected and scattered millimetre-waves while the passenger is required to strike a pose.” “Our system only needs a few seconds to do its work. Passengers walking normally through security would no longer need to take off coats and jackets, or remove personal items such as phones.” The trial takes place privately, by invitation only, from 4 to 7 December 2018 at Cardiff Airport and will not affect passenger journeys.

Delta Air Lines Unveils First Biometric Terminal In Atlanta

Travel Market Reports Delta’s Atlanta customers flying direct to an international destination will be able to use facial recognition to check in at the self-service kiosk. Passengers at the Delta terminal in Atlanta can use facial recognition technology “from curb to gate,” in what the airline is touting as the first biometric terminal. Delta has been installing biometric features in Terminal F at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport since announcing its plans earlier this fall. Passengers flying with Delta’s partner airlines, Aeromexico, Air France-KLM or Virgin Atlantic, will also have access to the facial recognition technology. Delta customers flying direct to an international destination will be able to use facial recognition to check in at the self-service kiosks; drop checked baggage at the counters; serve as identification at the TSA checkpoint; board a flight at any gate in Terminal F; and go through Customs and Border Protection processing for international travelers arriving into the US. “We’re removing the need for a customer checking a bag to present their passport up to four times per departure,” said Gil West, Delta’s COO. According to the carrier, the facial recognition option is saving an average of two seconds for each customer at boarding, or nine minutes when boarding a widebody aircraft, based on initial data. Since coming online in October, Delta said nearly all 25,000 customers who travel through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta’s Terminal F each week have chosen this process, with less than 2% opting out.

UK and EU Must ‘Wake Up’ To Risk Of Grounded Flights After Brexit

CNBC.com reports A body representing 50 airlines has written to the European Commission warning that it must take urgent action to prevent the grounding of flights after the UK leaves the European Union. “We get the sense from the politicians and officials that on the morning of March 30, the aviation industry will wake up and go to work as usual, even if there is a hard Brexit,” Andrew Kelly, president of the European Regions Airlines Association (ERA), said in a press release on Tuesday. “It won’t, it can’t, and the UK and EU need to wake up to that fact now, before it’s too late.” The UK is due to depart the EU on March 29. The letter to officials in Brussels claimed that a “no-deal” Brexit could have “disastrous consequences,” impacting routes, aviation safety and border security. The ERA has estimated that 1.8 million routes across Europe will be affected in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Delta Revamps Menu: ‘Pre-Select’ Meals To Expand, Drink Prices Bumped

Atlanta Business Chronicle reports Delta’s pre-select meal option will soon be available on all Delta One routes, expanding the food option to more business customers traveling between the US and Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America. Beginning today, pre-select meals will be available in more than 200 markets around the world, marking a relatively speedy expansion since its initial launch in March. Delta One is the airline’s latest update to its business-class cabin that features lie-flat beds and sliding privacy doors. The pre-select meal program is part of Delta Air Lines Inc.’s multi-billion dollar investment in the overall customer experience, which heavily focuses on onboard personalization. The pre-select option allows passengers to pick their meal of choice ahead of time. Delta said the pre-select expansion comes following “rave reviews” in initial markets, which included Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport to Europe. The airline’s pre-select markets expanded in June to Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle and Salt Lake City. “Customers continue to tell us how much they value having control over their in-flight experience,” said Lisa Bauer, Delta’s vice president of on-board services.